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Friday, March 15, 2019, 10:19

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Don’t make the city a haven for fugitives

By Staff Writer

Friday, March 15, 2019, 10:19By Staff Writer

There have been multiple public opinion polls since the special administrative region government announced it would amend the Fugitive Offenders Ordinance and Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Ordinance and most of them show overwhelming support for the proposed amendments. And Secretary for Security John Lee Ka-chiu told the press on Wednesday that a public consultation found 3,000 out of 4,500 entries of views, or roughly two out of three, in favor of the proposed amendments. Clearly most local residents agree there are loopholes in these two ordinances and should be plugged soon, so criminals wanted elsewhere in China can be handed over and face justice where they deserve.

Lee reiterated that the proposed amendments are intended to facilitate the extradition of fugitive criminals approved by Hong Kong court according to law. That is why the decision has won majority support from Hong Kong society. Unfortunately, even the best of intentions can be blocked by people obsessed with politics. In this case the opposition camp in Hong Kong has gone out of its way to convince the public there is a political motive behind the proposed amendment. And they are willing to keep the loopholes in those ordinances at the expense of justice. A case in point: A Hong Kong man is accused of murdering his girlfriend in Taiwan and sneaking back to Hong Kong after disposing of her body there last year. Because of the flaws in the two ordinances mentioned above, Hong Kong police cannot hand the murder suspect to its counterparts in Taiwan for a criminal trial.

Opponents have vowed to fight the proposed amendments in and outside the Legislative Council whatever it takes. Apparently they see no need to amend the two ordinances despite the grieving family’s wish for justice on the murderer so their daughter can rest in peace. As such some observers have suggested it is the opposition’s unreasonable attitudes that have convinced many people the proposed amendments are indeed necessary, whether they can help this particular case notwithstanding.

This is not the first time the opposition has put justice in peril for no sound reason. And such mistakes stemming from political bias have cost them dearly every time. If they insist on making Hong Kong a haven for criminal fugitives, the great majority of Hong Kong residents can and will teach them as many lessons as are necessary.

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